Bill Nye

Chief Executive Officer

+1-626-793-5100

As a student at Cornell University, Bill Nye the Science Guy was introduced to the wonders of astronomy in a class taught by Carl Sagan himself, one of the original founders of The Planetary Society. So for Nye, it was like coming full circle to join the Society’s Board of Directors, then become the organization’s Vice-president, and now its first Chief Executive Officer.

Nye’s mission for many years has been to turn on the public in general, and kids in particular, to the “way cool” wonders of science. Scientist, comedian, teacher, and author, Nye became a household name with his innovative, fast-paced television series, Bill Nye the Science Guy. His latest TV program, 100 Greatest Discoveries, airs in eight installments on the Science Channel.

Nye earned a degree in mechanical engineering at Cornell University and spent several years working as an engineer until he combined his dual love of science and comedy to create the Science Guy.

Born in Washington, D.C., he has a seminal childhood memory of flying a rubber band-powered airplane and figuring out how make it turn left. It was the start of his life-long love of airplanes and spacecraft. After graduating from Cornell University, Nye worked for the Boeing Corporation for the next three years. He continued to work as a consulting engineer on various projects in the 1980s, with clients that included the U.S. Department of Justice.

Nye's career took a different path in 1986 when he originated Bill Nye the Science Guy on KJR Radio in Seattle, Washington. He was also the writer and talent for Almost Live, a television comedy show produced by KING Television, Seattle, for which he won 13 local Emmy awards for writing and performing. From 1992 to 1998, Nye was the writer, producer and talent for the Emmy award-winning Bill Nye the Science Guy TV series co-produced by Buena Vista Television (Disney) and KCTS (Seattle public television).

Nye has authored several books, including his latest: Bill Nye The Science Guy's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs.

Additionally, he cannot help but encourage everyone to join the Planetary Society and support the cause of space exploration.

Latest Planetary Radio Appearance

PLANETARY RADIO LIVE: LADEE Launches for Luna

09/09/2013 | 28:50
Listen

Planetary Radio returned to the Crawford Family Forum for live coverage of the LADEE launch on September 6th.

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Latest Blog Posts

Dancing With The Stars

Posted 2013/09/04 09:50 CDT | 42 comments

Something remarkable has come up. I've been cast as a 'star' on Dancing With The Stars here in the US. (For our British readers, it's a very similar format to your Strictly Come Dancing.) As unusual as this may seem, I believe we can broaden awareness of the Society and thereby humankind's exploration of the Cosmos one ballroom dance at a time.

The Goal is Mars

Posted 2013/07/10 12:18 CDT | 21 comments

Today, The Planetary Society submitted our white paper to the National Research Council's call for "input" on human spaceflight. It's derived from work we did back in 2008 brought up to date.

ARKYD Kickstarter Finale Webcast

Posted 2013/06/28 07:58 CDT | 1 comments

Bill Nye will be at Seattle's Museum of Flight Sunday, June 30, 2013 from 3-7pm PT for the closing celebration webcast of the Arkyd 100 space-based telescope project.

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